352 AMTRAK #43

The train departed the burg round 3:45 and I was off. Over the Alleghenies to the place of my birth - Pittsburgh; after a layover switch trains to Chicago and then on to the conference.

The lateness and continued faling behind of the train created synergies, solidarities, and quick and fast friendships. The kid, about twenty, in front of me was about to enjoy his first train ride. It was a good introduction in that it was a does of railroad reality (although, of course, I've experienced worse). He was going to LA so by the time he is done early next week; he likely will have also.

One of the more interesting aspects of the trip was the etraordinary number of "physically challenged" travelers. Overall AMTRAK ridership appeared up but I'm talking about folks who weren't found behind the wheel at $1.95 a gallon let alone $4.25. The mobility of these folks amazed me. A nice Black labrador puppy named "Babe" (I took that as an omen as I headed to a baseball conference) was with a blind couple. The woman - Carol - was a friendly young woman who obtained the prison trained guide dog a few years earlier. The dog sat at their feet; actually under the chair of the person in front of them. This is an interesting feat for a daschund but an extraordinary one for a lab. Here husband, apparently a victim of late onset blindness, was from the Mount Washington neighborhood of Pittsburgh and between the two of them they seemed to know every Catholic Church in Pittsburgh.

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